Denver’s Historic Esquire Theatre Takes Its Final Bow

Denver’s historic Esquire Theatre will be drawing its curtains this summer. Known for screening independent films, the property has sat proudly at 6th Avenue and Downing Street for nearly 100 years. The Esquire Theatre is expected to undergo redevelopment this July.

The current owners of the theater, Landmark Theatres, intend to re-purpose the existing building with offices, eateries, and retail space. The goal is to keep the integrity of the historic space intact, while also offering something new for the local community. This means that the building will not be demolished. Unable to find another theater tenant to partner with, the building’s owners have collaborated with numerous counterparts to uphold the Esquire’s legacy. 

The redeveloping process intends to implement aspects of the original building, using historic signs and old marquees in new designs. The building’s owners claim, “the redevelopment project will use the City of Denver’s Adaptive Reuse program, an aesthetic process that adapts existing buildings for new uses while preserving their historic features.” In addition, the Denver-based architecture firm, Neo Studio, is adding a green design and construction to the project. These green additions aim to connect the corner of 6th Avenue and Downing. The transition includes potential tree canopies and landscape tailored towards pedestrian safety. 

The Esquire has prided diverse perspectives, showing years of independent films and foreign language cinema. While this may be a slight loss for Denver’s cinematic diversity, the refurbishing process aims to help bring business and charm into the surrounding Denver area. Since its humble beginnings as the single-screened Hiawatha Theatre in 1927, the building has endured the changing times. It has historically grown and altered to accommodate for the community and its people. And it will continue to so, theater or not. Although the curtain is dropping, the show must go on. These project designs, bringing together the surrounding neighborhoods and communities, act as an encore given by the beloved Esquire theatre.